PANJIM: Thousands of revellers on Saturday witnessed the colourful parade of floats, led by King Momo, in Panjim, as the coastal State marked the beginning of Carnival celebrations slated to go on for four days.
This year Carnival is dedicated to ‘Drug Free State’.
The parade, with more than 60 floats, begun from Santa Monica jetty and travelled three kilometres distance to culminate near Kala Academy in the city.
The entire DB Bandodkar road, the traditional route, where the floats were re-shifted from Miramar, was flooded with the revellers.
Just before the parade could start, speaking to media persons Shalom Sardinha, the King Momo, said that the year is dedicated for drug free Goa. “Say no to drugs. And when you drink (liquor), be responsible in drinking. Be safe and also let others be safe,” he said.
The floats depicting Goa’s culture, art, tradition and mythology and social issues like drug free, environmental degradation, were the major highlights.
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) also had their own float promoting Goa as wedding destination.
The parades across other towns would be held from Sunday onwards.
Though the government had announced a ban on consumption of alcohol during carnival, the liquor was seen served openly at many locations.
The people across the State entering the city to witness the festival along with several hundred tourists, Panjim experienced major traffic congestion from afternoon till night, with traffic police on their toes. All the entry points to the city were jammed.
